Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Constipation screening
Introduction
Overview
Overview
According to the USPSTF, screening for constipation is not recommended in general population. In palliative care patients, screening for constipation by specific questionnaire about subjective and objective findings is recommended.
Screening
Screening
- According to the USPSTF, screening for constipation is not recommended in general population.
- In palliative care patients, screening for constipation by specific questionnaire about subjective and objective findings is recommended.[1]
- The screening questionnaire is composed of 5 questions, as following:[1]
| Group | Question | Answer interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Symptoms | Do you have pain, discomfort or a sensation of incomplete evacuation when having a bowel movement? | Positive response reflects constipation |
| Please indicate the degree of ‘‘discomfort or difficult with constipation’’
0=None 10=Maximum discomfort |
Higher scores reflect more constipation severity | |
| Signs | On average: How many bowel movements per week do you estimate you have had over the last 3 weeks? | < 3 movements reflects constipation |
| Please indicate the usual hardness of your bowels.
Hard, soft or normal? Are they runny or pasty? |
Hard consistency reflects constipation | |
| Fecal impaction | Fecal impaction defined as the accumulation of hard feces in the rectum that would require unusual effort to evacuate, such as manual extraction, repetitive enemas, or intensive oral use of laxatives. | Positive response reflects constipation |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Eiman Ghaffarpasand, M.D. [2]